By KATLYN PROCTOR
Eagle Times Staff
CLAREMONT, N.H. — Large tables in the Claremont Elks Lodge No. 879 were lined to the edge with boxes — but not just any old boxes. Inside the 60 boxes were food items for local families in need, ranging from a holiday ham to bread and milk. These essential items were just one of the ways the Elks gave back to the community last year, especially during a time when school lunches weren’t readily available.
“There’s mac n cheese in there and breakfast items, a little bit of everything to help families not only get through Christmas Day but the week of school break,” said SAU 6 Guidance Counselor and Elks volunteer Courtney Porter. “For a lot of our students in our community, that free breakfast and lunch that they’re getting throughout the school day is incredibly important and having the extra food in these boxes is also ensuring that students who are in need are getting food during the holiday break.”
Families in need came forward through the school system during the fall and Porter made a list. It’s then cross-referenced with other local nonprofit’s philanthropic efforts to make sure there’s no duplication; the more families that can be helped, the better.
Vicki Landry is one of the main coordinators of the effort on behalf of Elks Lodge No. 879 by applying for grants. She also collaborates with local grocery stores and organizations on donated food items. Landry will also shop for additional box ingredients using grant funds.
“This has been my little baby for a few years. I just think it’s really great,” Landry said. “There are 60 families and 328 people the boxes served. It’s an awesome box.”
The work for the Christmas boxes starts days ahead of distribution with a pallet of items being delivered. Landry’s spreadsheet maintains order and ensures that everything goes according to plan. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the boxes, as larger families receive more food items than smaller families. Landry’s spreadsheet keeps track of that, too.
In addition to Porter and Landry, several Elks’ volunteers were on hand to distribute the boxes during December, braving the cold weather to run deliveries to waiting vehicles. Others kept an eye on a truckload of milk parked outside the lodge while some organized boxes inside.
“We know that this is a really troubling time for a lot of folks. People get worried about having enough presents under the tree or heating fuel; the least we can do is provide some food,” Porter said.
In addition to the Christmas food boxes, the Elks has sponsored a Community Food Market in every school.
“They are these nice tall Rubbermaid cabinets that are just full of food and families can take things home at any time. So, if on a Tuesday night, a family realizes they don’t have anything for dinner, the students and families know they can go to any school and get a bag full of food,” Porter explained.
One of the Elks’ main projects includes Copper Cannon Camp in Franconia, a free summer camp for eligible youth. If students qualify for free lunch, they qualify for camp, and the Elks in Claremont wants to sign up as many local students as possible. The 2025 Claremont Week is July 20 through July 26.
For more information, visit facebook.com/elks879 or coppercannon.org.
